In 1983, author, teacher, and theologian John Hull (1935-2015) went blind after years of declining vision. He kept an audio diary during this turbulent period of his life. Over the course of three years, he recorded more than 16 hours of material documenting his journey into a world beyond sight—a testimony to loss, rebirth, and renewal, in which he explores the deepest recesses of the inner world of being blind.
This diary was previously published in book form under the title Touching the Rock. It’s now a multimedia project consisting of a short film, a documentary, and this virtual reality experience. The award-winning project allows us to “see” how we can experience the world without images, emotionally and cognitively, in a marvelous way. Each of the six chapters focuses on one of Hull’s specific memories or experiences: from a day in the park to a liberating thunderstorm, making use of game technology, animation, and sound design.
Notes on Blindness is widely regarded as a landmark in virtual reality storytelling. First presented at IDFA DocLab in 2016, it can now be experienced again as part of the Archive Arcade. Special thanks to Agog for supporting the work’s adaptation for standalone VR headsets.
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